Police and construction workers surrounded the Joe Paterno statue in State College, Pa., Sunday, six months after the famed Penn State coach died of cancer. Penn State president Rod Erickson said the statue had to come down because it had become a divisive issue and prevented healing. According to the Freeh Report, Paterno and the actions of three other Penn State administrators indicated that they covered up allegations of child sex abuse against Jerry Sandusky from becoming public.

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The tarp goes up

Workers set up a blue tarp and a fence to keep away anyone wishing to interrupt the proceedings.

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Coming down

Paterno's statue was erected 11 years ago in celebration of his 324th victory, making him the winningest coach in FBS history. He ended up winning 409 games during his career.

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Police protection

A line of police officers provided workers an extra level of protection as the statue was taken down.

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Off to storage

Workers used jackhammers to free the statue and a forklift to lower it onto a flat-bed truck that rolled into stadium garage bay about 100 feet away.

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Unbelievable moment

Not everyone agreed that the statue be taken down. A woman cries on her cell phone as she witnessed the events Sunday.

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Like a funeral

Even Paterno's raised index finger went covered. There was nothing to celebrate on this day. Derek Leonard, 31, a university construction project coordinator who grew up in the area, said the construction workers on the project told him it was like watching a funeral when the statue was lowered onto the truck and then rolled away.

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Death penalty?

As workers took down the statue, a report began to spread that the university would be facing 'unprecedented' NCAA sanctions that were to be announced Monday. Among the NCAA's options was giving the football program the death penalty.

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Sizable crowd

The statue's sculptor, Angelo Di Maria, said he was upset to hear that the statue had been taken down. The scene drew a number of onlookers.